Brandi, Soviet architecture, nature and more surprises in Armenia

An imposing mountain of more than 5,000 meters with the top covered in snow looms over Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

It is the Ararat, a national symbol for the small Caucasian country and on whose summit Noah's ark ran aground after the flood, according to the Bible.

But this peak is beyond its borders, it belongs to Turkish territory since World War I, and that loss still hurts the Armenians.

It's hard to find a place in this city where you can't see the mountain (on a day with good visibility) and of course there is a museum that bears his name, albeit dedicated to something very different… brandy.

The aguardiente is famous in Armenia —the Ararat brand, of course, which dates back to 1887— and in many European countries, although it is not directly marketed in Spain.

In the Yerevan museum they explain the entire distillation process and how it ages in wooden barrels.

Dozens of photographs hang on its walls with actors, actresses and world leaders of the past and present (from Vladimir Putin to George Clooney).

can be booked in advance and you can taste the star product, alone or in a cocktail

.

In Armenia there is also an emerging wine sector, with some wineries worth a visit, one on the outskirts of Yerevan, the Armenia Wine Company, in the town of Sasunik.

With tasting and visit to the museum.

There is not only wine and brandy: all this is accompanied by a cuisine reminiscent of the Middle East, but also of Central Asia and Greece, full of fresh vegetables and fruits (this country has an important production, and of very good quality), and always accompanied by lamb or other meats, usually cooked on the grill.

It is easy to find a restaurant in the center of Yerevan where you can eat well, at a more than reasonable price.

After dinner you can stroll through the central Plaza de la República to contemplate the gigantic musical fountain that turns on its lights from ten o'clock at night.

View of Mount Ararat and Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Rosita So Image (Getty Images)

It is a city of a million inhabitants (of the three that live in the whole country) with large avenues, with a mixture of Soviet and neo-traditional Armenian architecture.

The city was planned, rebuilt almost again at the beginning of the 20th century, by the architect Alexander Tamanian, who carried out the project and is responsible for almost all the great buildings of the capital, such as the Opera House, the Republic Square, the seat of the Government… Armenia was part of the Soviet Union and it shows both in its architecture and in the scarcity of churches, many demolished during the communist era or also by an earthquake, despite the fact that it is known as the first Christian country in the history (in the year 301).

The central Republic Square with the gigantic musical fountain that turns on its lights from ten o'clock at night. Walter Bibikow (Getty Images)

A sculpture dedicated to Tamanian stands at the base of another key tourist spot in Yerevan.

It is the so-called

, a monument that houses the Cafesjian Arts Center and consists of large steps that run along its sloping facade (15 degrees), with gardens and excellent views of the city.

On the terraces between floors, tourists and locals sunbathe or cool off in small fountains, depending on the time of year.

You can also go up by escalators and interior elevators.

The Matenadarán (in Armenian, library) is another, undoubtedly, interesting place.

Known as the Mashtóts Institute, it is devoted to research on ancient manuscripts (the Armenian alphabet was created in the year 405 and has hardly changed since then).

There is no visit to the capital that should miss the Armenian Genocide Museum.

The then Ottoman government ordered in 1915 the deportation of the Armenians, a Christian community, to the deserts of Syria.

In the persecution that followed, nearly a million people died and relations between the two countries are now very tense, with the border closed since the 1990s, although lately there has been some rapprochement.

The relationship with Azerbaijan is even more tense due to the dispute over the border territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Garni Temple, in the Armenian town of the same name, is the only classical-style temple in the Caucasus. Maja Hitij (Getty Images)

A trip to the 1st century

Less than an hour's drive from Yerevan you can travel to the 1st century. In the town of Garni, located about 30 kilometers southeast of the capital, is the temple with the same name, one of the most important tourist attractions in the country. and the only Roman temple in the Caucasus.

It is believed that it was built by King Tiridates, in that 1st century in honor of the god Mihr, and that its possible use as a tomb saved it from the destruction suffered by other pagan buildings.

It was unable to flee, however, from the earthquake that destroyed it in the 19th century.

Of course, between 1969 and 1975 it was rebuilt.

Continuing east, just 10 kilometers away, at the entrance to the Azat valley, is the Geghard monastery, a sanctuary that is half cathedral and half cave.

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, it houses several churches and tombs representative of the heyday of medieval Armenian architecture, most of them carved into the rock face of the Azat River gorge.

Monuments that are dated between the 4th and 13th centuries.

A woman visits the interior of the main building of the Geghard monastery.

frantic00 (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

For those who prefer to walk, there are many options in the area.

The mountainous geography of Armenia offers several possibilities for hikers.

One of the most popular routes are those of the Geghama mountain range, whose highest peak, Azdahak (reaching almost 3,600 meters), is an extinct volcano covered in snow.

But both south and north toward the Georgia border, there are plenty of itineraries and experiences to choose from.

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